A series of recent defaults at Chinese solar manufacturers suggest I was at least partially right. In 2013,Suntech Power, a solar manufacturer based in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu, defaulted on $541 million of convertible bonds. In February, Suntech filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in Manhattan to seek protection from U.S. creditors. Meanwhile, LDK Solar, a solar manufacturer based in the southern province of Jiangxi, defaulted on an equally massive bond that matured in February. Threatened with the prospect of bankruptcy, LDK Solar said it had received $321 million in loans from a consortium of lenders led by the China Development Bank, according toBloomberg.The same banks have already lent LDK billions of dollars. In 2011, LDK received $8.9 billion from the China Development Bank, according toMercom Capital Group, an Austin, TX-based energy consulting firm.

The full scale of financial subsidies the Chinese government has provided domestic solar manufacturers is stunning.In 2009, while testifying before the U.S. China Economic andSecurityReview Commission in 2009, Ethan Zindler, the head ofBloomberg’s New Energy Finance, suggested that these subsidies would result in a supply glut in the solar manufacturing sector. Citing a $5.3 billion loan Yingli Solar had secured in 2010 from the China Development Bank, Zindler said: “That loan alone, and several others like it from the bank, could help double the world’s solar manufacturing supply of solar modules in just the next several years.”

Chinese manufacturers quadrupled production ofsolar panelsbetween 2009 and 2011 and exported them at prices sufficiently low to expand China’s market share in the solar sector dramatically.Between 2009 and 2011, the price of modules decreased from $2.79 to $1.59 per watt.Chinese companies have argued thateconomies of scaleand technical improvements are responsible for these dramatic cost reductions.Not everyone agrees.

“The explanation for this simultaneous sharp increase in production and sharp price reduction is not entirely the happy economic event of unit cost reduction from economies of scale and improved technical performance with preservation of commercially attractive profit margins,” said the authors of anMIT reportabout the future of solar energy. “Rather the explanation for this price decline is overexpansion in global, primarily Chinese and Asian, production capacity of cells and modules, combined with a reduction in the demand growth of heavily subsidized PV markets inEuropecaused by the financial crisis.”

After a 13-month-long investigation, the U.S. Department of Commerce similarly concluded that China has been illegally pricing solar exports below production costs to undercut foreign competitors and gain market share.

1) Despite going bankrupt and being delisted from the NYSE, Suntech managed to still make it into the top 15 in 2013!

That’s somewhat impressive. 2) The only solar module supplier in the top 10 not based in China or Japan was US-based First Solar, which was the only thin-film solar module supplier in the top 10, and one of only two in the top 15

. 3) US-based SunPower just barely got knocked out of the top 10 for the first time in years, maybe even the first time ever.

(Full Disclosure: I own stock in SunPower… as well as in Yingli Green Energy.)

4) Yingli and Trina Solar stood pretty tall above the other solar module suppliers in 2013, yet their stock prices are ridiculously low. I guess investors are wary of another Suntech-like bankruptcy and fall from grace. I not expecting that, of course.

The price gap between monocrystalline silicon modules and multicrystalline is closing as rooftop markets continue to expand, according to market research firm, EnergyTrend.

Other than EnergyTrend's view that monocrystalline modules have an aesthetic advantage due to colour consistency, the third party leasing market, notably in the US dictates the need for higher efficiency modules, which supports the need for monocrystalline modules.

“Current Chinese mono-si cell’s conversion efficiency is around 18.4%, while Taiwanese multi-si cell’s [are] between 17.4%-17.6%. Usually, cells with conversion efficiency above 17.6% are expensive high-efficiency products with lower production output,” said Arthur Hsu, research manager of EnergyTrend. “Chinese mono-si cell’s price quotes [are] US$0.41-0.43/watt. Meanwhile, quotation of Taiwanese high-efficiency multi-si cell is almost the same as Chinese manufacturers, with conversion efficiency absolute value gap being about 1%. From users’ perspectives, clients are more willing to use mono-si cell because mono-si has higher power output under the same price conditions.”

EnergyTrend also noted that price increases, notably on the spot markets were limited, due to supply/demand aspects in the current second quarter of the year but said that fluctuations as a result would occur. more...

The glare from solar farms could be a thing of the past, thanks to scientists at Loughborough University. Researchers have developed a multi-layer anti-reflection (AR) coating for glass surfaces, which reduces the sun's reflection from photovoltaic panels while at the same time improving their efficiency.

The coating was developed by researchers at the Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST) who believe it will be attractive to solar panel manufacturers.It is applied using the same technology as that used for depositing anti-reflection coatings on eye glasses.

Professor Michael Walls, one of three CREST members who came up with the multi-layer AR design, said: "We really want to see these AR coatings implemented by manufacturers."They improve the module power output by about four per cent and will be low cost if manufactured in high volume.It's a great added value proposition for float glass manufacturers."Each glass surface reflects about four per cent of the incident light, representing a significant loss of light into the module.The AR design, developed by Professor Walls, Dr Piotr Kaminski and Fabiana Lisco, reduces the reflection by more than 70 per cent across the wavelength range accepted by PV panels.The effectiveness of the coating is demonstrated in Picture 1 where a glass cover sheet has been placed above a crystalline silicon PV cell.The area covered by the AR coated glass is clearly visible whereas the part of the cell covered with non-coated glass is obscured by reflections.The design consists of only four alternate layers of zirconium oxide and silicon dioxide and the whole stack is less than 300 nanometres thick.

These materials were chosen because they are abundant and low cost. more....

How To Make A Recycled Solar Panel??

Step 1: This is about a Solar Power Plant made from recycled parts. It is a work in progress. It all started at the landfill where someone next to me was throwing away 11 solar garden lights. I had 9 at home from garage sales. I had an old picture frame and some plywood and paint. I had to buy 4 diodes from radio shack. I started by taking all the lights apart and using the solar cells. I saved the circuit boards and LED's for future projects. The plastic globe made nice little hot caps for the garden. Step 2: I painted the board with some old house paint. I soldered 5 in a row pos. to neg. I think that 4 would have been OK I will know when I get done. Each set is putting out 22 volt in good sun.

Step 3: I mounted the cells with a little hot glue then soldered a diode to the pos. on each set and into a splice on a single cord. Next I spliced all the neg. ends to a single exit wire. I dabbed a little hot glue over the solder joints to keep everything in place. I hot glued the picture frame over everything leaving the bottom un glued for a little ventalation.

Step 4: The first test. Over 22 volts on a winter day. Tried it vertical and horizontal. I have no idea of how many watts.

Step 5: I cut some scrap plywood and nailed and glued it to the sides. I cut them at 60 degrees for Washington state.

The increase is due to supply constraints, rising input costs, and the ongoing trade dispute between the two countries, the Boston-based green-energy consultancy said in a report.

Chinese-made modules are significantly cheaper than those made in other areas, and GTM Research estimated they were 55% of total modules shipped to the U.S. last year.

Chinese firms are quoting modules at 80 cents to 85 cents per watt for delivery in the second half of the year, compared to 70 cents per watt at the end of 2013, the report said.

The ongoing U.S.-China trade case is the “primary driver” behind the price increase, the report said.

More duties on Chinese and Taiwanese solar modules would push up U.S. pricing beyond current levels, as the firms would pass on tariff-induced penalties onto customers or contract out cell and module production to vendors based in higher-cost countries such as India, South Korea, and Malaysia, GTM Research said.

The U.S. began investigating earlier this year allegations that solar-panel manufacturers in China and Taiwan could be evading duties.

Meanwhile, shares of most solar companies endured another day of losses. more..

Growing Plants on Solar Parks !!?: Latest Experiment

owing agave and other carefully chosen plants amid photovoltaic panels could allow solar farms not only to collect sunlight for electricity but also to produce crops for biofuels, according to new computer models by Stanford scientists.his co-location approach could prove especially useful in sunny, arid regions such as the southwestern United States where water is scarce, said Sujith Ravi, who is conducting postdoctoral research with professors David Lobell and Chris Field, both on faculty in environmental Earth system science and senior fellows at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. "Co-located solar-biofuel systems could be a novel strategy for generating two forms of energy from uncultivable lands: electricity from solar infrastructure and easily transportable liquid fuel from biofuel cultivation," said Ravi, the lead author of a new study published in a recent issue of the journalEnvironmental Science & Technology that details the idea.

Photovoltaic (PV) solar farms run on sunlight, but water is required to remove dust and dirt from the panels to ensure they operate at maximum efficiency. Water is also used to dampen the ground to prevent the buildup and spread of dust. Crops planted beneath the solar panels would capture the runoff water used for cleaning the PV panels, thus helping to optimize the land. The plants' roots would also help anchor the soil and their foliage would help reduce the ability of wind to kick up dust.

Computer simulations of a hypothetical co-location solar farm in Southern California's San Bernardino County by Ravi and colleagues suggest that these two factors together could lead to a reduction in the overall amount of water that solar farms need to operate. "It could be a win-win situation," Ravi said. "Water is already limited in many areas and could be a major constraint in the future. This approach could allow us to produce energy and agriculture with the same water."

But which crops to use? Many solar farms operate in sunny but arid regions that are inhospitable to most food crops. But there is one valuable plant that thrives at high temperatures and in poor soil: agave. Native to North and South America, the prickly plant can be used to produce liquid ethanol, a biofuel that can be mixed with gasoline or used to power ethanol vehicles. "Unlike corn or other grains, most of the agave plant can be converted to ethanol," Ravi said.

The team plans to test the co-location approach around the world to determine the ideal plants to use and to gather realistic estimates for crop yield and economic incentives. more

The glare from commonly used objects such as solar panels or electronics displays can be greatly reduced with the use of a newly developed transparent film black inspired by moth eyeballs.

The new film — created by researchers at UC Irvine — can also aid in the main tangency of a clean surface, as it can also keep grime in raindrops and other moisture from sticking

“We found that a very simple process and a tiny bit of gold can turn a transparent film black,” stated UC Irvine chemistry professor Robert Corn, the lead researcher of the group that created a patterned polymer material based on the findings.

Humorously, the new material/film was discovered practically on accident — the researchers were even worried, initially, when they noticed what appeared to be soot on a flexible film they were designing to coat various products.

Solar panels can be a handy way to get a little extra juice, particularly if you're out camping or away from an outlet. These mini solar panels fold up into a stack the size of a deck of cards, but contain 12 panels capable of charging a cellphone.P

These won't be able to power your whole house or anything, but at less than $1.50 for each panel in the stack, they're still pretty impressive—and you can add more if you want to charge something larger (or faster).

You can find the build guide is on GitHub and Instructables. The panels themselves are each capable of providing between 0 - 0.5V at 400 - 1000mA (or 1A), depending on the sunlight available. The panels even have thin neodymium magnets that let them stick to each other as they're laid out side-by-side. The guide itself is pretty simple and straightforward; complete with easy to understand illustrations for each step provided you have a bit of DIY experience.P

The materials needed include a polycarbonate sheet, some EVA film, some copper tape with conductive adhesive, some small neodymium magnets, and the solar cells themselves. Don't worry if you have no idea where to get that stuff; there are links to all the places to get them on the materials list. more...

World's First Ever Self Cleaning Solar Energy Park!??

Ecoppia, an innovative developer of autonomous water-free photovoltaic solar panel cleaning solutions, announced today that the Ketura Sun solar park in Israel’s Negev desert, jointly owned by Siemens AG and solar energy pioneer Arava Power, is now the world’s first autonomously-cleaned solar energy production facility. The 8-hectare facility, producing 9 million kilowatt hours per year, is cleaned nightly by a fleet of almost 100 water-free, energy-independent Ecoppia E4 robots.

Soiling – the accumulation of dirt and dust on photovoltaic solar panel surfaces – is one of the greatest impediments to solar energy production, and can reduce panel energy output by up to 35%. Located in the hot southern stretch of Israel’s Negev desert, between the Gulf of Aqaba and the southern tip of the Dead Sea, Ketura Sun suffers from frequent sand storms and virtually no rain. Due to the expense of traditional, labor-intensive, water-based cleaning, Ketura Sun’s solar panels were only cleaned some nine times a year. This manual panel cleaning would take up to five days, during which time the field operated sub-optimally and work crews endangered sensitive equipment. In the interim between cleaning cycles, the park suffered significant electricity production degradation due to soiling.

Following a successful pilot, during which Ecoppia’s solution effectively removed 99% of panel dust daily, E4 robots were deployed over the entire Ketura Sun field in less than three months. Today, nearly 100 centrally-controlled E4 robots clean the entire field every night, ensuring maximum production efficiency during sunlight hours.

Cost effective and efficient, energy-independent E4 cleaning robots use a soft microfiber and air flow cleaning system to remove 99% of dust daily, applying zero load on the panel surface, keeping panels at optimal production 24/7/365. Utilizing a robust control unit and sensors that drive the robotic system along each solar panel row, E4 is fully remotely managed, monitored and controlled.

We conducted a thorough worldwide search for a cleaning solution that could deal with the challenging weather conditions in our solar parks”, said Jon Cohen, CEO at Arava Power. “Only Ecoppia’s solution showed actual significant uplift in production, while offering an extremely appealing business model. We are proud to be their partners” he concluded.

“Ecoppia has changed the way we run the Ketura Sun field”, added Yanir Aloush, VP Operations at Arava Power. “Less guesswork about when to clean, less downtime since there’s no need for on-site cleaning crews, less external personnel on the ground – we are very excited by the potential upgrade Ecoppia's solution offers us”. more....

The energy from the sun that hits the Earth in a single hour could power the planet for an entire year, according to the US Department of Energy(DOE). One of the best places to harness that free, abundant, and environmentally friendly energy is a desert, but deserts, it turns out, come with a nemesis to solar panels: sand. The particulate matter that constantly blows across deserts settles on solar panels, decreasing their efficiency by nearly 100 percent in the middle of a dust storm. The current solution is for solar field operators to spray the dust with desalinated, distilled water.

“That might not sound like a big deal, but if you have millions of square feet of solar panels out in a desert, it ends up being costly—especially if water is a scarce resource,” says John Noah Hudelson (ENG’14), one of several graduate students working to find a better solution with Malay Mazumder, a College of Engineering research professor of electrical and computer engineering and of materials science and engineering, and Mark Horenstein, an ENG professor of electrical and computer engineering. “We’re looking to use just a small amount of electricity to statically push the dust off the surface of the solar panel or the solar mirror.”

The BU team’s answer, called a transparent electrodynamic system (EDS), is a self-cleaning technology that can be embedded in the solar device or silkscreen-printed onto a transparent film adhered to the solar panel or mirror. The EDS exposes the dust particles to an electrostatic field, which causes them to levitate, dipping and rising in alternating waves (the way a beach ball bounces along the upturned hands of fans in a packed stadium) as the electric charge fluctuates. more..

First Solar has just set thin flim efficiency record

First Solar announced on Wednesday that they had set a new world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) module conversion efficiency, reaching a record of 17%, up from its previous record of 16.1% efficiency.

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The most recent tests were performed by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), nearly a year after the company set its previous record, and only weeks after they announced their world record in CdTe research cell efficiency of 20.4%.

“This achievement demonstrates our ability to rapidly and reliably transfer research results to full-size modules,” said Raffi Garabedian, First Solar’s Chief Technology Officer. ”We can take CdTe innovation from the lab to production faster and more reliably than other technologies due to our robust, adaptable manufacturing processes and the accommodating nature of CdTe material technology. Our R&D efforts are delivering technology that will quickly be scaled to real-world application as part of our integrated power plant systems, which are engineered to deliver the best performance, reliability and value for our customers.”

Garabedian said the efficiency milestone is also a signal that First Solar’s CdTe modules are becoming a more attractive option for application in constrained space projects and commercial/industrial installations. “With the highest demonstrated thin-film module performance, we are positioned to pursue new deployment opportunities around the world,” he said.

The specifics of the news can sometimes be lost in the self-congratulatory press releases, with only a special few understanding just why “aperture area” is important. Simply put, however, the more efficient a solar module can convert energy into electricity the more energy a single module can produce and, therefore, the more efficient solar technology becomes. more..

Kyocera to mount 22% efficiency modules for Japanese residential roof top

Japanese solar module maker Kyocera has announced that it will begin supplying a monocrystalline panel to the Japanese residential rooftop solar market.According to the company, this will make Kyocera the only manufacturer to mass produce both monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar modules in Japan.Kyocera also claims that the monocrystalline modules it has brought forward for commercialisation will hit 22% conversion efficiency, up from their current efficiency of 19%, “within the next few years”.

The company has added the monocrystalline modules to its range of offerings in response to high demand for rooftop solar in Japan. Recently announced feed-in tariff (FiT) rates in the country dropped more sharply for large scale projects than for residential rooftop generation. Rooftop FiTs are likely to drop by only 2.6% from last year, while large scale projects will receive around 11% per kWh less than last year, with the new rates scheduled to take effect from 1 April, the beginning of Japan's financial year.

Additionally, the company claims to have broken its own record efficiency for polycrystalline cells, set in December 2011. The industry record 17.8% that was measured then has been smashed as the company claims it has now hit a conversion efficiency of 18.6% for mass produced polycrystalline cells. Kyocera says efficiency gains were achieved through “the enhancement of crystal quality, improvement in the electrode process and reduction of carrier recombination.”

At present the new modules, both poly- and monocrystalline will only be sold in the Japanese market, with the ‘improved’ polycrystalline cells expected to go on sale in summer. more..

* Graphene Nanoflakes increase solar panel efficiency!

A team of researchers at the University of Cincinnatihas found a way of using graphene nanoflakes to make solar-powered panels in lights, calculators and roofs lighter, cheaper, more flexible and more efficient. The study found that efficiency increased threefold by adding graphene, because the material was helping to rapidly transport charges to achieve higher photocurrent.

Fei Yu, a University of Cincinnati doctoral student in materials engineering, has experimented with adding a small fraction of graphene nanoflakes to polymer-blend bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells to improve performance and lower costs of solar energy.

"There has been a lot of study on how to make plastic solar cells more efficient, so they can take the place of silicon solar cells in the future," said Yu. "They can be made into thinner, lighter and more flexible panels. However, they're currently not as efficient as silicon solar cells, so we're examining how to increase that efficiency."

"Because graphene is pure carbon, its charge conductivity is very high. We want to maximize the energy being absorbed by the solar cell, so we are increasing the ratio of the donor to acceptor and we're using a very low fraction of graphene to achieve that."

"The increased performance, although well below the highest efficiency achieved in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, is nevertheless significant in indicating that pristine graphene can be used as a charge transporter."

Future research will focus on device physics, film morphology and how to control and optimize these randomly distributed graphene nanoflakes by a variety of methods to achieve better performance.more...

*Worlds First semi transparent colored solar panels?

Because solar panels are designed to accumulate as much light from the sun as possible, they're typically very dark in color. It makes them more efficient, but also kind of an eyesore, minimizing their adoption. So researchers at the University of Michigan have developed what they believe to be the world's first semi-transparent, colored solar panels.

After all, solar panels produce energy that's completely free, but who wants to cover every inch of their home in giant black panels? In the palm-sized American flag pictured above, the tinted stripes and field of blue are all energy-producing solar cells. And were it increased in size to a meter on each side, it would generate enough electricity to power a fluorescent lightbulb.at's particularly important about this innovation is that the colors weren't created by adding dyes or a film that can obscure the light hitting the panels. Instead, the colors are produced by the mechanical structure of the solar cells themselves causing them to reflect different wavelengths depending on the thickness of the semiconductor layer.

But while they certainly look better than your typical solar panel, they're also less efficient since some of the light is being bounced back to your eyes instead of being absorbed. In the long run, however, if it comes down to someone installing a slightly less efficient solar panel on their home that looks good, instead of not installing one at all, the advantage to this breakthrough becomes clear.Courtesy gizmodo

lar Ball Lens Improves Energy Efficiency 35%

A solar power concept employing a clear ball lens coupled with a support structure that has tracking on two axes is an aesthetic design for a clean energy generator. A liquid-filled sphere acts as a solar concentrator to focus sunlight on a betaray energy collector. It can also be combined with a sterling engine.

German architect André Broessel is the designer. He says his system has a greater energy efficiency than regular PV solar panels and that it can generate four times the electricity on a cloudy day. He also says his technology can concentrate sunlight and moonlight up to 10,000 times.

Applications such as EV chargers, energy-producing windows, and autonomous power generators are potential uses. The design is still in the prototype phase, so there doesn’t appear to be any specs released such as power (kW/MW) capacity, weight, or cost.

Multiple smaller ball lenses can be placed side by side, as well. This array is called MicroTrack and a press release from 2012 shared some details: “MicroTrack will be available in Europe in July 2013, in the US and Asia late 2013, with a suggested retail price of €2.599 per square meter and minimal power output of 140 Watts in façades. Built-in to order options for multimedia LED technology include the ability to upgrade from one basic to three basic colors, with additional suggested retail price of €599 for the one basic color and €649 for the three color module.”

Broessel’s innovations were nominated for the World Technology Network Awards in 2013. Rawlemon is the name of his company.

Startups sometimes pivot, moving suddenly in a new direction because they stumble upon some new insight that requires such a change. This solar ball lens and support structure might be scaled down for home applications such as charging consumer electronics like cell phones and laptops.

There’s a lot of criticism that the price is too high for the value offered, and it is a sign of potential trouble that the 2012 press release noted that the product would be released at the end of 2013 but it is not yet on the market.more..

FIRST SOLAR INC IS FACING MANY CONCERNS : REPORT

First Solar reported a great third quarter, but there are some warts on the company's results. Low-efficiency panels aren't selling out like SunPower's (NASDAQ:SPWR) high-efficiency panels, full-year guidance was down, and backlog isn't coming with the same revenue as it once was. Does this mean it's time to take profit in First Solar stock? Erin Miller sat down with solar analyst Travis Hoium to see how these factors should impact what investors think about the stock. more..

*HIGH POWER SELF -CLEANING SOLAR PANELS: INNOVATION

Maintainance is a major issue in india, this should be ideal for indian conditions

High-power, self-cleaning solar panels might be coming soon to a roof near you. There are two obvious problems with photovoltaic cells, solar panels. First, they are very shiny and so a lot of the incident sunlight is simply reflected back into the sky rather than being converted into electricity. Secondly, they get dirty with dust and debris caught on the wind and residues left behind by rain and birds.Now, research published in theInternational Journal of Nanomanufacturing suggests that it might be possible to add a nanoscopic relief pattern to the surface of solar cells that makes them non-reflective significantly boosting efficiency and at the same time making them highly non-stick and self-cleaning.MORE..

While profit margins on solar modules dropped dramatically during 2011 and will probably remain relatively low for the foreseeable future, margins on some of the materials used to build them is in the double digits.This is especially true of innovative new raw materials that ultimately increase solar panel efficiency.A recent study from Lux Research, a data and analysis firm specializing in emerging technologies, found that the impact a material has on solar panel efficiency correlates directly with its profit margin.

will deal with latest latest news about them in the indian market and in the international market.

As u go down you will get all relevant information about solar panels india, manufacturers polysilicon panels, cost of solar panels, etc.

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Solar PV cells

Major Types:

Crystalline siliconAmorphous siliconThin films

Crystalline silicon:The manufacturing of crystalline-Si modules typically involves growing ingots of silicon, slicing the ingots into wafers to make solar cells, electrically interconnecting the cells, and encapsulating the strings of cells to form a module.

It will contain two types: mono crystalline, poly crystalline Mono: Current commercial mono crystalline-Si modules have higher conversion efficiency about 14 to 20 percent. Their efficiency is expected to increase to 23 percent by 2020 and 25 percent in the longer term. Poly/Multi: Multi-crystalline silicon modules have a more disordered atomic structure, leading to lower efficiencies. But they are less expensive and more resistant to degradation due to Irradiation. The degradation rate is about 2 percent per year for multiple crystalline technologies, which will be higher in case of mono crystalline silicon cell. Their efficiency is expected to reach 21 percent in the long term. Thin films: Thin films are made by depositing extremely thin layers of photosensitive materials in the micrometer range on a low-cost backing, such as glass, stainless steel or plastic. First generation of thin film solar cell produced was amorphous-Si. To reach higher efficiencies, thin amorphous and microcrystalline silicon cells have been combined with thin hybrid silicon cells.

Summary:

 The type of material directly affects the efficiency of cell and the more efficiency of the system the more expensive it will be.  The majority of panels are made from polycrystalline or mono crystalline, with a small percentage using amorphous material.  Polycrystalline cells are the cheapest and have efficiency levels of between 12% and 17%.  Mono crystalline panels have efficiency levels of between 14% and 20% and are therefore slightly more expensive.  That is why most of the people use poly crystalline cells than mono crystalline.  If you require a level of efficiency of 18% or more, then your best option will be a thin film crystalline-amorphous hybrid cells. But thin film technologies will require more land than crystalline silicon technologies in order to reach the same capacity due to their lower efficiency.  So, land availability and cost must be taken into consideration when thin film technology is considered.Overall we can conclude that better to go for panels made up of crystalline silicon, poly or mono will depends on the investment you have.There are a wide range of factors to consider when choosing a solar PV system. Among them are: Efficiency

 PV module has efficiency between 10-20%, so if we want higher efficiency we should pay more.

 If people want to use modules for small capacity then better go for Indian(local) suppliers because that will cost them less money.

 If someone wants to put up a solar park then international brands are preferred due to large scale import charges will be less as compared to small sizes.

 Eg: Suntech will supply modules with 15% efficiency for large scale systems.

Analysis: Cost for PV panels of 1MW will be around INR 2.9 – 3.4 cr. Generally in India cost of a panel 1 Watt = 35 Rs. So if cost is increased 2 cents/watt - we use 250W panels - So per panel we have to pay 500 Rs more. - Per 1 MW installation we have to pay around 20 lakhs more So for 1MW instead of 3 cr Rs. One should pay 3.2 cr Rs. Efficiency and size of the panel are also the factors which will affect panel cost. As per our resources from the solar PV industry,  Cost of a PV module (just the panel) costs anywhere between Rs 30 to Rs 60 per watt of power generated.

 A good imported module will cost around Rs 40-45 per watt.

 Good ones manufactured in India would come as low as Rs 30-32 per watt. Price trends of brands from past years: http://www.solarserver.com/service/pvx-spot-market-price-index-solar-pv-modules.html?gclid=COaqt5ashrcCFTMRtAodYzYAsA Price variation from past years:

By considering above two factors one should contact the suppliers, who will manufacture crystalline solar cell panels Because these will have relatively high efficiency and no size issues. Manufacturer or BrandOf course we should buy from well-known brands to overcome reliable issues.

 Warranty Warranty is a promise which provides assurance by one party to the other party that specific facts or conditions are true or will happen. Guarantee is something that assures particular outcome or condition.

 Manufacturers will give 5 to 10 years warranty

 Performance guarantee of 90% up to 10 years, power output of 80% up to 25 years

Warranty issues:

REAL Assurance SchemeAll certified supppliers must belong to an Office of Fair Trading-backed consumer code-of-conduct program, and the REAL Assurance Scheme is currently the only one available. The scheme covers general business standards, such as protection against excessive deposit payments and workmanship warranties, which installers must always explain to consumers both in writing and verbally.Deposit and Advance Payment Insurance Scheme All REAL members must provide protection for deposits andAdvance payments they take from domestic consumers. REAL members have access to insurance known as the ‘Deposit and Advance Payment Insurance Scheme’. The scheme is designed to provide protection for payments made before works have begun, just in case the company ceases to trade before they deliver the goods to you. The Deposit and Advance Payment Insurance Scheme has been arranged between REAL and the insurance scheme administrator (QANW). You will not be asked to pay anything for the insurance cover, either to the REAL Assurance Scheme or to the company you’re contracting with. The company can register your contract with the scheme administrator and you will receive an insurance policy by post.Workmanship Warranties When you purchase a renewable energy technology, your MCS installer is obliged to provide a workmanship warranty for a minimum of one year. However, typically speaking many companies offer warranties for longer than this. Members of the REAL Assurance Scheme are required to put in place arrangements to ensure that the warranty they provide will be honored if the company ceases to exist during the warranty period. Under the Deposit and Advance Payment Insurance Scheme consumers are given the opportunity to purchase warranty insurance for an additional £35. This insurance provides protection should the company cease to trade and is valid for the period of the installer’s original workmanship warranty. If the installer company has not already provided an insurance backed warranty the Energy Saving Trust recommends that you pay this additional £35 for the workmanship warranty insurance. Eligibility and requirements The product is eligible or not? Is it certified? Capacity of plant Size of plant Certification: 1. Why do we need PV certifications? 2. When you certify a new solar product, how does the process work, and what is the certification bodies involved? 3. And as a PV expert, what are the main international, country specific and environmental certifications that you should know about? Most people in the PV industry see PV certifications as a reference of trust, because they stand for certain safety, quality and performance standards. Besides that, certifications have become a legal entry barrier in many countries. Certification bodies Certification bodies issue the PV certifications to factories. Most PV module manufacturers will contact following bodies The German bodies: 1. TÜV Rheinland 2. TÜV Süd 3. VDE. Other less frequently used options are: 1. Swiss SGS 2. French Bureau Veritas3. American Intertek These major certification bodies own the labs in which new solar products can be tested. The certification of a PV module is a multilevel-process and may take several months before completion. Certification process It’s usually the PV manufacturer that submits a new solar product with a certification body. A PV factory submits: 1. Solar panel samples 2. Documentation 3. Factory audit After the certification body will start accelerated lab tests, which will be executed over a period of 3 to 6 month time. Examples for such lab tests are:

there are many country-specific certifications: Country-specific certifications - CEC – Australia, Clean Energy Council - INMETRO - Brazil - JET PV - Japan - NRE -South Korea - CNS -Taiwan From certification you can obtain quality seal – to prove that your PV modules have passed tests conducted according to national and international standards ensuring their high quality, safety, and reliability. Indian manufacturers are certified by MNRE, we can find certified suppliers here:

http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byGeo/byC/India/byP/solar/pvM/byB/mfg/monopv/monopv.shtml So after these PV certifications Can we trust the panels blindly? - No, because we can’t get guarantee on their Excellency. While choosing brands you can refer to following link for more information: http://www.yougen.co.uk/renewable-energy/Solar Electricity/ Buyer’s guide: http://canmetenergy.nrcan.gc.ca/fichier/80674/We need to maintain these panels: Core maintenance:

1) Documented condition inspection and preventative maintenance- By monthly planned visits, typically one day on site

Solar panel makers are finally seeing signs that the clouds could be lifting from their embattled sector, sparking a stock rally for their volatile shares. Canadian Solar (CSIQ) led off the upbeat news, releasing preliminary results that included better-than-expected first-quarter sales and margins. But perhaps more importantly, other reports said the industry is seeing some of its first sustained price increases after more than 2 years of declines. Those 2 pieces of good news ignited a rally for solar shares, led by Canadian Solar .. MORE 8/5/13

* Tariffs on import of chinese panels to be imposed in Europe !

This can lead to further fall in the prices of chinese solar panels and is good news for developers.

The usually tranquil world of European renewable energy just got exciting, as a plucky band of rebels led by EU ProSun and SolarWorld launched a last-ditch assault on the Chinese clean energy Death Star that has zapped 80% of their market.

At least, that’s the narrative the European Union would like to spread as it prepares to to slap tariffs of around 46% on imported Chinese solar panels, as The Wall Street Journal’s Matt Dalton reports.

*

Solar Panels for the poor

Pollinate Energy, a social enterprise NGO that has, in the past five months, sold 400 private solar systems to slum dwellers in north Bangalore. Pollinate is one of a growing number of companies betting on "leapfrog" technology designed to help the urban poor in developing nations to skip right over fossil fuels for electricity.

Trina, which suffered its sixth quarterly loss in February, is one of many solar panel makers bleeding cash as a worldwide glut hammers prices. A trade dispute with Europe may inflict more pain by slapping duties on Chinese panel makers.

WILL the bankruptcy of Suntech, a big Chinese solar-panel maker, spark a round of consolidation in the global solar industry? The early signs are dim. Under a charming and tech-savvy founder, Shi Zhengrong, Suntech was a pioneer. It was the first Chinese solar firm to go public, in 2005. Buoyed by official credit and subsidies, it briefly became the world’s largest solar-panel manufacturer by volume.

Now Suntech has become a dirty word among sun-worshippers. On March 15th it missed a payment on $541m-worth of convertible bonds. On March 18th local banks holding the firm’s debt lost patience and sued it. Shortly afterwards a local court declared it bankrupt and ordered debt restructuring to begin.

Suntech stumbled because it ran ahead of the pack. Jenny Chase of Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), a research firm, argues that solar technology is advancing so quickly that it creates a “last-mover advantage”. She calculates that new photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing plants become obsolete within five years.

Another advantage for upstarts is that they can exploit the collapse in global silicon prices, the most important raw material for solar panels. Older firms like Suntech had no choice but to pay $400 or more per kg in 2008. Many signed long-term fixed-price contracts. When prices recently touched just $16 per kg, they were as sore as a sunburnt neck.

That is a great fall. Lots of difference. The last movers have no chance than to go for the kill with low prices. So will the cos with poor technologies.

So, you actually dont know if you are getting the benefit of falling prices and newer technology or the benfit of falling prices and obsolete technologies.

Solar kit keeps getting cheaper and more efficient. So Suntech’s younger Chinese rivals, such as Jinko and Hareon, report much lower costs. They also appear to be less heavily indebted. In theory, as firms with unprofitable and outdated assets go under, leaner ones should flourish. But such consolidation has yet to happen.

The global solar-panel glut is now vast. Manufacturers have at least 60GW of crystalline-silicon cell and module capacity, but demand this year is expected to be just 37GW. BNEF forecasts that, e

ven with robust demand in China and Japan, global PV demand will reach only 52GW in 2015.

On the heels of the Suntech bankruptcy, Robert Bosch, a German auto-parts giant, announced that it would pull out of the solar-manufacturing business. Despite having sunk over $2.5 billion into this sector, the firm said it saw no path to profits. Outside China, more bankruptcies and exits are likely.

A shake-out in China is also overdue. Debt-to-equity ratios at Chinese solar firms are nearly 80%, in contrast with typical levels closer to 50% at global and Taiwanese rivals. Nearly all of the hundreds of Chinese solar firms are losing money. Alas, no clean-up is on the horizon, if recent news is a guide.

Just before Suntech declared bankruptcy, Zhou Weiping, a former manager at Guolian Development Group, a state-owned enterprise, was appointed as its president. That suggests that the local government of Wuxi, where Suntech is based, will not allow it to go under. China’s reluctance to let the walking dead expire could hurt the solar industry for years. Sunlight may kill vampires, but not zombies.

*India may launch an anti-dumping investigation against solar panels made in China, after the US and Europe launched similar probes, the Guangzhou Daily reported on Monday.

The Indian anti-dumping authority said that they have received an application from local companies, asking them to start investigating solar panels made in China, including Taiwan, Malaysia and in the US, the Guangzhou Daily said.

About 90 percent of the solar panels made in China are for export. Europe and the US are the major destinations.

The solar industry in China is struggling, due to sluggish demand and the previous anti-dumping probes.

Li Hui, a researcher with Essence Securities, said that if India decides to launch the anti-dumping probe, it will have a limited impact on Chinese companies because India is not a major market.

New solar module rankings from Principal Solar Institute (PSI) based on manufacturers’ own data could add downward pressure to solar prices and move the industry to higher quality standards.

“You always hear about dollars per watt,” explained PSI Executive Director Matthew A. Thompson. “That is a comparison. It helps make some decisions early on, but what you really need to know is how much energy a solar project is going to produce over its lifetime.”

PSI identified seven key characteristics that measure and describe a module’s energy output. “We took these seven characteristics and used publicly available data, largely from the manufacturers themselves,” Thompson explained, “to create a model that would show the modules' 25-year lifetime energy production [LEP].”

The just-launched ratings system, developed over the course of a year, emerged from developer Principal Solar’s aim to identify the best project acquisitions and the best panels for new developments.

“The seven characteristics are a great start,” noted Michigan Technological University professor Joshua M. Pearce, co-author of a landmark solar LCOE study. “The industry must maintain consumer and investor confidence that modules will produce the lifecycle electricity promised. There are reports that some companies are selling lower quality modules to keep up with falling prices.”

The just-released rating system white paper details the seven characteristics.

1. Actual Tested Maximum Power vs. Advertised is the power value and “a primary factor in the design of any solar power system.”

2. Negative Power Tolerance is the manufacturer’s deviation from its design target. “Higher quality production lines control this variation better and manufacture products with a smaller (tighter) tolerance.”

3. Temperature Coefficient at Maximum Power describes the decreasing power output with increasing temperature. “Products with a higher temperature coefficient will have lower LEP.”

5. Power at Low Irradiance / Power at High Irradiance Ratio reflects a PV module’s performance in off-peak conditions. “The insolation response combined with the daily insolation is a key component of the LEP.”

6. Annual Power Reduction shows the degradation of a PV module’s output over time from lab testing. “It is of extreme significance to the manufacturers’ warranty policies [and] is used to calculate LEP and contributes to a PV module’s PSI Rating.”

7. Total Area Efficiency is “the degree of coverage of a module” with cells.

Thompson hopes to eventually add a measure that will capture panel durability. “The potential for absolute failure in the field is not part of the seven characteristics, because data is not available from the manufacturers,” he said. But financiers and developers with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake want that information, Thompson said. He hopes to convince more manufacturers to submit their modules for testing. “When failure rates are known, durability will become an eighth characteristic.”

* It is a curious paradox. Though more and more solar energy is being produced in India - installed capacity rising exponentially from just 20 megawatts (MW) in 2009 to 980 MW by April 2012 - domestic solar panel manufacturers are in the doldrums. Just a couple of years ago, they were riding high. But now they hardly get any orders. All those setting up solar power plants prefer to buy their equipment overseas, especially from China.

Leading solar power equipment manufacturer Indosolar posted a loss of Rs 200 crore in 2011/12, to add to its loss of Rs 130 crore the previous financial year. Moser Baer, which moved away from making compact disks into solar cells , seeing it as the next big opportunity, is trying hard to recast a debt of Rs 3,800 crore. Tata BP Solar, Lanco Solar, HHV Solar Technologies, Jupiter Solar, WebSol Energy Systems and others are all in the same boat. Most of them have reduced production, utilising only 10 to 25 per cent of their installed capacity.

"It is crazy. We don't know what is happening," says S. Venkataramani, CEO, Indosolar."We want India to be a manufacturing hub. We don't want our power producers to import equipment," says Kapoor. "But they may not be able to compete if they are forced to buy only locally." The fall in the prices of solar equipment may have made solar power cheaper than before, but it still costs between eight to nine rupees a unit, while conventional power usually costs four to five rupees a unit depending on region and season. "The price of solar power has to achieve grid parity if the sector is to survive in the long run," says Kapoor. "The answer lies not in preventing imports, but in Indian banks also providing cheap loans like their Chinese counterparts."

Still, desperate situations often spark off ingenious solutions and local solar equipment makers too are fighting back, without waiting for the banks or the government to bail them out. Some are getting into solar power generation themselves - a vertical integration which guarantees that a part of their production always has a market. Moser Baer, for instance, set up two solar power plants last year which source 40 per cent of their panel requirements from Moser Baer's own manufacturing division.more

Average pricing in May for solar polysilicon declined by a larger margin in the spot market than in contract negotiations, presaging continued price declines for the near future, according to IHS.

The average global price for a kilogram (kg) of polysilicon used in photovoltaic (PV) solar cells fell to $23.50 in May, down 3.3 percent from $24.30 in April. In contrast, pricing for contracts—also known as long-term agreements (LTAs)—dropped by only 2.4 percent during the same period.

This means that the gap between spot and LTA pricing is widening, expanding to $5.20/kg in May, up from $5.10/kg in April.

“The escalating spread between LTA pricing and that for the spot market reflects the continuing oversupply in the global polysilicon market, which is expected to result in further price declines,” said Glenn Gu, senior analyst, PV, with IHS. “We predict pricing for all grades of polysilicon in both the LTA and spot markets to weaken again in June.”

On the spot market, polysilicon is sold for cash by third parties and delivered immediately. In contrast, on the contract market, polysilicon is sold directly by suppliers on credit, often with LTAs for delivery and pricing.

The inflated prices on the contract market are resulting in increased production costs for LTA buyers. Already, the production cost for crystalline silicon solar modules is 3 cents higher per watt for an LTA compared to the spot market. Because of this, PV polysilicon buyers increasingly are turning away from LTAs and heading for the spot market.

“Makers of solar cells were already flocking to the spot market to take advantage of lower pricing, with the spot market accounting for 44 percent of polysilicon shipment volume in April, up from 36 percent in March,” Gu said. “This trend continued in May, with spot market volumes rising to 47 percent of all shipments. The exodus to the spot market is expected to continue, causing a decline in LTA prices that will minimize the pricing gap. Unless the gap decreases, buyers will start to try to renegotiate the terms of their LTAs with suppliers.”

IHS predicts the differential between contract and spot prices will narrow only slightly in July. Over the next few months, IHS expects that some LTA polysilicon suppliers will follow the spot market pricing trend to avoid disputes with customers. For high-grade polysilicon, the price gap will stabilize at the current level, IHS expects.

Over the last two days, dozens of senior solar professionals served as panelists at the GTM Research Solar Market Insight event and offered a snapshot of today's solar industry and some hints of what the solar industry will look like in 2013 and 2014. The panelists weighed in on soft costs, balance-of-system costs, product quality, and a new era in financing solar projects. Here are some viewpoints from the experts on this week's panels.

First Solar's Engineering Director John Schroeder said, "Finance cost is more expensive than module cost" outside the U.S.

First Solar (Nasdaq:FSLR) has between two and three gigawatts of utility-scale solar currently in construction and "five gigawatts in the ground." As part of driving energy yield, Schroeder seemed keen on trackers -- noting that tracker technology and cost are "really hitting their sweet spots." He said that trackers were one of the best ways to reduce levelized cost of energy (LCOE), because although they might raise O&M by 10 percent, in Dubai trackers result in "a 25 percent yield increase."

"We need more bankable trackers in the market," said Schroeder. First Solar has its own tracker product from its acquisition of RayTracker in late 2010.

Schroeder is also looking to get the best out of inverters with a wish-list of controls including reactive power capabilities, dynamic voltage regulation, and frequency response features. He'd like to see a system voltage raised to 1,500 volts from its current 600- or 1,000-volt level with inverters that can handle that potential. He said that a higher voltage and fewer inverters could mean solar at $0.08 per kilowatt-hour and that "PV can't get to $.07 without a higher voltage," adding that that figure was without an ITC.This is very interesting. At $ 0.10 it means it costs Rs 5 per kilowatt hour in indian terms. At $ 0.08 per kwh, it only means that the cost of solar power is declining toRs 4 per kwh and at $ 0.07 it is heading towards Rs 3.50 per kwh. This is great news for solar power producers in India.

Advanced Energy's Sr. Marketing Manager, Matt Denninger, listed a number of ways that PV costs can be lowered through the inverter:

Reduce the length of the home run conductor.Don't replace the inverter in year ten; instead, work with an extended warranty and annual preventative maintenance.Consolidate content; incorporate more into one inverter cabinet.Reduce O&M costs by strengthening warranty T&Cs.Increase production to improve LCOE, maximize availability and inverter efficiencyNext to the solar panels, inverter plays an important role in the over all cost of a solar power plant, as well as its efficiency in delivering lower costsolar power in indian conditions.

Dave Taggart, the CEO of Belectric, an EPC and the first firm to surpass one gigawatt of installed PV, is looking "to break the scale relationship" of solar plants. Can a one-megawatt build have the same cost per watt as a 25-megawatt build?

Lowering Soft Costs

Barry Cinnamon, founder of Westinghouse Solar, pointed out the parallel between today's solar industry and yesterday's satellite dish industry. Satellite dishes have become cheap, standardized, and easy to install because of a concerted effort by industry on the hardware and policy fronts. Cinnamon suggests that scenario could be solar's future.

Danny Kennedy, the founder of Sungevity, on solar soft costs: "All of these soft costs can be addressed. The cost of customer acquisition is addressable and will come with scale."

Investing in Solar Power

Raj Agrawal, the head of the North American infrastructure business at private equity investor KKR, said, "We feel that solar provides one of the most attractive risk returns in the infrastructure space," adding, "We're actively looking for more renewable projects." But, Agrawal cautioned, "Anything novel about a panel is a detriment. Novel is not a great thing to have in your project."

Brian Matthay, VP Environmental Finance at Wells Fargo, noted that the bank's investments in solar tax equity have "crossed $1 billion." Of the 250 solar projects that Wells Fargo has invested in, seven are over 10 megawatts in output. Matthay said, "We have a lot of Evergreen and Satcon in our portfolio," adding, "Modules are definitely not a commodity." Amidst recalls and safety concerns, "it's incumbent [on investors] to pay attention and test these modules to negotiate a tough warranty."

Panel Makers Differentiating

"Materials matter," said Conrad Burke, GM of DuPont Innovalight, adding that DuPont's pastes, backsheet films, and encapsulants have logged "over five trillion panel hours." Of the roughly 300 million panels installed globally, 150 million of those panels include DuPont materials, according to Burke.

"If you take silicon out of the equation, DuPont is the largest materials supplier." Burke urged the audience to realize that solar is a $100 billion industry at a very important juncture -- and quality is critical. "We cannot afford any more black eyes in this industry," said Burke.

"In a race for survival amongst falling prices ... commoditization should not be at the expense of quality," said the DuPont GM, adding, "We think the industry can grow 20 percent per year, and that the firm had a unique 'inside perspective.'"

He said that DuPont was "seeing a rise in defect rates" at solar sites with encapsulant discoloration, backsheet failure, glass delamination and backsheet delamination. Burke's data showed IRR dropping sharply with just a small reduction in power produced annually.

Dan Alcombright of Solon, now part of Microsol, has installed 100 megawatts of solar in the U.S. and 310 megawatts worldwide. Solon, as we recently reported, has designed a solar system meant to trim labor, material, and handling. Modules are frameless, easily interconnected, and on a mounting platform made of lightweight composite material manufactured in partnership with Andersen. Alcombright, with a post-ITC world in mind, said, "This makes solar systems work in more states."

Jonathan Pickering, the President of JA Solar Americas said, "We are at a critical stage -- moving out of the technology-driven phase and transitioning from 100 gigawatts to 1000 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2020. Despite purchasing decisions made primarily on price, the solar industry has to "Stop selling vanilla ice cream. You'll want to check the label if you're going to eat the stuff for the next 25 years."

India is endowed with very good solar energy resource. The average intensity of solarradiation received on India is 200 MW/km2. Even if 10% of the available area can be used, the available solar energy would be 8 million MW, which is equivalent to 5909 Mtoe (million tons of oil equivalents) per year.

Considering the ever increasing energy demands of the country, this resource can be gainfully utilized, especially for meeting the electrical needs of rural poor, who are not likely to be served by the grid; and for meeting thermal energy requirements of domestic, industrial, and commercial sectors.

Currently the most popular method of tapping this vast storehouse of energy is through the use of solar panels.

WHAT ARE SOLAR PANELS?

Solar panels collect the solar energy which is available in abundance on our planet and convert it using�advanced technology into electricity. Solar PV technology uses arrays of solar cells to receive sunlight and convert the same into electricity.

A solar cell is basically a fine silicon wafer. A Photovoltaic (PV) cell is made up of one or more layers of semi � conducting material, which is normally silicon. When the cells receive sunlight, an electric field develops across the layers resulting in a flow of electricity. The intensity or strength of PV cells is measured in terms of the energy they generate in maximum sunlight and is referred to as kilowatt peak or KWP.

PV solar panels come in Mono Crystalline, Poly Crystalline, Amorphous and Thin � Film varieties. Currently, crystalline silicon panels are the most commonly used PV systems. However, silicon is expensive and in short supply.

Basically, PV systems are available in two designs, which are flat � plate and concentrator panels. As of now, all PV solar panels sold in India are constituted of crystalline silicon cells.

Solar shingles also use PV technology. These power generators are designed to look like regular roof shingles and the advantage is that they are quite often capable of providing power even when the roof is partially shaded.

PV Solar panels do not necessarily need direct sunlight, they can function in daylight. Hence, photovoltaic technology can produce some electricity even under cloudy conditions.

Its environment friendly and conserves our natural resources.

How solar cells work?

Solar cell is a solid state device that converts the solar light energy into electrical energy by the photovoltaic effect Principle of operation. Solar cells are in fact large area semiconductor diodes.

Photovoltaics principle is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons.

How much solar energy panels cost?

Almost every individual has wondered as to how much solar energy panels cost exactly. One very obvious answer to this question is yes, they are really somewhat expensive. This huge cost of theirs is simply devoted to the usage of specialized materials and other engineering tasks that are deployed in the manufacturing process of each single photovoltaic cell. This, in turn, generates high production outlays and hence, consumes high prices. Moreover, with increasing interest in the using renewable sources of energy, its demand has further increased leading to an expected increase in their prices too.

The basic steps involved in calculating a rough estimate of actually how much solar energy panels cost in today’s world are mentioned below:

Step I: - Enter certain relevant information about your building or home along with your present energy usage. This will allow the authorities to determine whether solar electric, solar spa/pool, space or water cooling/heating systems or other wind energy systems are appropriate for you or not? Moreover, what actually will be the cost incurred and what benefits you would be exercising after installing a solar energy panel in your house, needs to be determined too.

Step II: - Enter your requirements for wind, solar or renewable energy products. The authorities will then provide you with numerous profiles of individuals who can service according to all your needs.

Solar power authorities have invented a special solar calculator that literally calculates as to how much solar energy panels cost actually. These calculators may prove to be quite confusing and can only be handled by certain technologists only.

Talking about an approximation of how much solar energy panels cost, USA follows a significant rule of thumb. According to them, electricity consumed by an average house is usually at the rate of 1 kW/hour (kWh). For about 730 hours in a single month, the average pricing of one kWh of electricity would come around $0.10. So, on an average, the monthly bill comes out to be around $73 for 730 kWh consumption of electricity.

In case a house possesses certain non-standard items like a hot-tub or some continuously running electric appliances etc, this solar energy cost may vary significantly. For instance, extensive usage of computers, video game consoles and plasma screen TVs can even create an impact. Running an air conditioner may also add on the energy consumption even further.

Coming to our requisite, i.e., how much solar energy panels cost actually, the very first thing that needs to be known is the conservative value. An approximate solar panel generating capability would be approximately 10W/Sq. Ft. This specifically means that for each single kilo watt (kW) that is generated by you, approximately 100 sq. Ft of solar panels are required. One very basic limitation that hinders the generation of solar energy at a constant pace can be referred to the fact that sunlight is available only during the day time and that too when the cloudy weather is avoidable. For instance, an average sunny day in USA varies from 3 hours to 6 hours per day. Sometimes 7 hours per day of sunlight is also seen in places like Arizona etc. http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/SolarPanelCost.php

*

Recent Innovations in Solar Panel Technology

Solar panels are already an amazing technological feat. After all, not many devices generate electricity with zero fuel costs, require little maintenance work and be cost effective for an increasing number of homeowners and businesses. However, many researchers around the globe are not satisfied with the solar energy status quo, and are developing new and exciting breakthroughs that may make photovoltaic power even more efficient and cost effective in the future.

Super Efficient Black PV PanelsWhile solar panels are efficient at capturing available sunlight for electricity generation, the technology is letting some of the energy found in the sun's rays go to waste. That is because conventional solar cells only capture visible light, whereas the sun emits infrared light and other forms of radiation.

To address this issue, researchers from Germany's Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institute simply changed the color of the silicon used in PV panels to black by using lasers to affix sulfur to the silicon. Since the color can absorb visible light in addition to infrared radiation, the newly developed cells have the potential to capture 25 percent more energy from sunlight, Solar Love reported.

According to the online news source, the next steps for the researchers is to develop a way to incorporate their findings into existing panels. Their plan is to somehow develop a module that includes black silicon and conventional materials to best capture all available energy from the sun's rays.

Nanotechnology Breakthrough Increases Available SpaceGerman researchers are not the only ones who have been developing efficient black PV panels. A team of scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced in October that they developed black solar cells that are more than 18 percent more efficient than existing photovoltaic technologies.

The researchers wanted to create PV cells with an optimal amount of surface area to absorb available sunlight. However, too much exposed space on a panel, especially as a result of impurities in the silicon, leads to lower efficiency ratings for the photovoltaic equipment. To address these dual concerns, the team of scientists engineered a system by which billions of incredibly tiny holes are drilled into every square inch of the silicon. The holes increase the amount of space available, but each one is so small that light will not be reflected away from the panel as a result of the augmentation.

"Their experiments demonstrated that the high-surface area, and especially a process called Auger recombination, limit the collection of photons on most nanostructured solar cells," NREL said in an October release. "They concluded that this Auger recombination is caused when too many of the dopant impurities put in to make the cell work come through the nanostructured surface. This scientific understanding enabled them to suppress Auger recombination with lighter and shallower doping."

To make this technique more viable for residential and commercial applications, the researchers are tasked with creating cells that are 20 percent more efficient than existing technologies and make the process more cost effective.

Creating Laminated Solar CellsAlthough the price of photovoltaic equipment has been dramatically decreasing over the past three years, the use of materials like silicon ensures that solar modules will have a certain price point. Revmodo reported in September that research out of Flinders University showed how to reduce the cost of solar panels by using plastic components, but to also reduce the costs related to manufacturing by using a process similar to lamination.

“In the conventional method of fabricating plastic solar cells you have to deposit various materials sequentially on top of each other in a sandwich structure but over time the materials intermix, leading to device degradation,” said Anirudh Sharma, a doctoral candidate at Flinders University, according to the online news source. “However my technique involves deposition of materials on two different electrically conductive surfaces, followed by lamination. It gives better control over the material intermixing and thus can give more stable and better performing devices.”

Regular readers of Climate Spectator know that the prices of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) modules have declined dramatically over the last three years (Cut price solar,April 13). But there is still some debate about the cause of the drop and whether we can continue to expect significant cost reductions.

Those on the sceptical side argue this is an unsustainable decline in price driven by an over-exuberant Chinese communist government encouraging too much solar module production capacity. This is a one-off gain according to sceptics and prices will in fact go up rather than down in the future. They argue this is necessary because profit margins are now so low that manufacturers are going out of business and with the consolidation, competition will decrease.

However the solar ‘true believers’ argue these dramatic price drops are just a sign of what’s to come. They point at the fact there is still large room for improvement relative to theoretical physical limits for solar cells, and that this hyper competition is in fact forcing rapid innovation in order for the existing businesses to avoid bankruptcy.

The chart below, prepared by Deutsche Bank analysts Eric Cheng and Michael Tong, illustrates that both points of view are partly right and partly wrong. It illustrates the global average sales price (ASP) for a fully complete solar panel or module in blue and the average total module production cost in red over January to December 2011.

Source: Deutsche Bank - April 2012

The first thing that strikes you is that the sales margin has dropped dramatically. In January producers were earning a 60 cent margin per watt and this dropped to about 15 cents by the end of the year. So that’s a point in favour of the solar PV sceptics.

But what it also illustrates is that underlying production costs have continued to decline over 2011 from around $0.98/watt in January to $0.81/watt. That’s a pretty dramatic cost reduction of 17 per cent in just 12 months.

If we delve down deeper into the supply chain for solar PV modules we see a similar pattern of considerable margin compression due to increased competition combined with significant steady improvement in underlying production costs.

Overall, the end conclusion is that sceptics are right about the need for consolidation and for margins to improve, but they are wrong to conclude that prices will therefore go up.

While the dramatic reductions in price we’ve seen in recent times seem unlikely to continue, production costs are still continuing to decline significantly. For example it is anticipated that low-cost leaders such as Trina and Yingli will achieve production costs for solar modules of around $0.65-0.70/watt by 2013 versus the $0.81 illustrated in the chart above for December 2011. Plus producer consolidation would have to be incredibly dramatic to noticeably lessen competition, as no solar PV producer currently holds more than 10 per cent market share.

A class of materials, such as silicon and germanium, whose electrical properties lie between those of conductors - such as copper and aluminium and insulators - such as glass and rubber. The term is also used to denote electronic devices made from semiconductor materials.

At the atomic level, semiconductors are crystals that in their pure state are�resistive, but when the proper�impurities�are added (this process is called�doping) in trace amounts (often measured in parts per billion), display much lower�resistance�along with other interesting and useful properties. Depending on the selection of impurities added, semiconductor material of two electrically-different types can be created -- one that is�electron-rich (called N-type, where N stands for�Negative), or one that is�electron-poor (called�P-type, where P stands for�Positive).

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Solar cell structure:

Solar cells are based on the semiconductor physics � they are basically P N junction diode with a very large sensitive area. The photovoltaic effect, which causes the cell to convert light into electrical energy, occurs in the three conversion layers.

The first of these three layers necessary for energy conversion in a solar cell is the top layer � N type semiconductor. Next is the core of the device and this is the absorber �P-N junction. The last of the energy conversion layer is the back junction or the bottom junction � p type semiconductor.

The solar cell additionally requires two layers, and these are the electrical contact layers. The two layers must be present such as to allow electric current to flow out of and into the cell. �The electrical contact layer on the face of the cell where light enters is generally present in some grid pattern and is composed of a good conductor such as a metal. The grid pattern does not cover the entire face of the cell since grid materials, though good electrical conductors are generally not transparent to light. Hence, the grid pattern must be widely spaced to allow light to enter the solar cell but not to the extent that the electrical contact layer will have difficulty collecting the current produced by the cell. The back electrical contact layer has no such diametrically opposed restrictions. It need simply function as an electrical contact and thus covers the entire back surface of the cell structure. Because the back layer must be a very good electrical�conductor, it is always made of metal.

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What�s happening inside the solar cell?

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When sunlight of the right energy level hits the n-type layer, which is on top of the solar cell, it excites some of the free electrons, which break loose from their natural state -- pairs -- and flow across the boundary between the layers to create a current. This only works if the two layers of the solar cell are pressed directly into each other. This is usually accomplished by fabricating both sides as part of the same process.

The current flows through the p-layer into the wire, which goes to the load, generally used to store electricity. The current is DC. If an�AC�current for household appliances is desired, the DC current is put through an�alternator, which converts DC current into AC.

After flowing through the load, the current continues back into the n-layer, which is lacking in electrons in some areas due to the current. The process continues. A current is generated without any mechanical input. This is the magic of the solar cell.

For protection, the top layer of the solar cell is covered with a�glass�plate affixed with transparent�resin.

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STATUS OF INDIAN SOLAR PANELS

Solar PV market has already achieved global standards. In terms of quality, the PV modules and cells manufactured in India are considered at par with those manufactured in the developed Countries.

Specific drivers for PV in India include the country�s rapidly rising primary energy and electricity needs, the persistent energy deficit situation, the country�s over dependence on coal for electricity generation and on oil & gas imports. These factors coupled with India�s endowment with abundant irradiation, with most parts of the country enjoying 300 sunny days a year, make PV particularly attractive to the country�s energy strategy.

Indian photovoltaic production capacity tops 1 GW per year

India�s solar PV (photovoltaic) module production capacity has crossed more than 1 gigawatt (GW) per year or nearly 10% of the global production capacity. The country has ramped up its production from around 0.06 GW in 2005 to 1 GW by the end of 2009. However, nearly all of the production is exported.

Even as India now produces around 1 GW of modules a year, the total installed PV capacity in India is merely 0.12 to 0.15 GW

Solar panels technical specifications in India and around the world:

Here you can find some generic solar panel�s technical specification in India and around the world. This article covers the Electrical and mechanical specification tested under standard testing conditions (STC).

This also covers temperature ratings and other necessary terminologies for better understanding.

Tata BP Solar, BHEL are some of the big names in manufacture of solar panels.

Tata BP Solar was the first to develop solar modules that can be aesthetically integrated into the architecture of a building. Its Building Integrated Photovoltaic Modules (BIPV) is energy-efficient solar panels that can be integrated in the roofing. In the Samudra Institute of Maritime Studies at Lonavala, near Mumbai, three large roofing solar panels generate power �- the first project of its kind in the country. Hyderabad's Green Business Centre also has a roof mounted solar power plant that takes care of some of its electrical needs.

The URL given below lists all the major manufacturers of solar panels in India.

Solar panel (photovoltaic module or photovoltaic panel) is a packaged interconnected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells. The solar panel can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications.

Because a single solar panel can only produce a limited amount of power, many installations contain several panels. This is known as a photovoltaic array. A photovoltaic installation typically includes an array of solar panels, an inverter, batteries and interconnection wiring.�

Two technologies that are currently used to harvest solar energy are the solar photovoltaic and solar thermal methods. Basically, solar photovoltaic technology (PV) involves the conversion of solar rays into electricity, which can then be fed into a grid or used separately to power lighting, heating and cooling systems as well as a wide range of appliances.

Solar panels use light energy from the sun to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect.�The structural member of a module can either be the top layer or the back layer.�The majority of modules use wafer-based crystalline silicon cells or thin-film cells based on cadmium telluride or silicon.�

Crystalline silicon is a commonly known semiconductor.

Solar thermal technology, on the other hand, harnesses sunlight directly to produce solar power, which enables appliances such as solar cookers and water heaters to function without conventional electricity.

DRAWBACKS of Solar Panels

High production costs make silicon panels [solar panels] too expensive for the average consumer in India. Companies are researching alternatives such as thin film systems as well as other non � silicon options to bring down the cost of production and make PV solar panels widely accessible. Photovoltaic systems are developed using specific combinations of solar cells.

ADVANTAGES of Solar Panel

PV systems connected to the grid require hardly any maintenance apart from ensuring that they are kept clean and are not in the shade from surrounding trees.

Solar Panels have also been used to design roof top batteries.

The government is in talks with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US to use its prototype of 1 MW-capacity rooftop storage battery.

The union ministry of power has proposed the tie-up with MIT under the Indo-US Science & Technology Forum to develop the prototype storage battery into a commercial product for meeting India's growing energy demand.��Using solar panels, a rooftop battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy and stores up to 1 MW or one million watts for supplying uninterrupted power to cities, an entire district or a cluster of villages across the country�.�

The storage battery can also be charged with wind energy that is available in abundance across peninsular India for most of the year.�

Economical energy is one of the prerequisites for a developing economy like India.

Solar energy could become cheaper by a new technology devised by the team at Leicester University.

A transparent thin film coated on windows can make your window a power generating unit. This could be coated as side panels of the building itself or even in the form of 'clip-together' solar roof tiles.'

Since it is a thin film that can be coated onto large areas it could become very much cheaper than conventional devices. The coating would be built into the windows or other materials as part of the manufacturing process.

It could even be used on the roofs of cars to charge up batteries.

�The material has been designed by EnSol AS and is based on nano-particles that can be synthesised in Leicester�.

The key to growth and success is innovation. As Thomas Friedman said the world is flat, so with a free flow of ideas India is investing in its people, developing new products and expanding its network

Solar Panel manufacturing video:

This is an interesting video on solar panel manufacturing and technology. The step by step process clearly enlightens us about what is happening inside the solar panel manufacturing industry and how humans and machines work together in the process. ��

Conventional wisdom in the northern hemisphere is to face solar panels south so they get the most light all day. Architects and panel installers implement this approach all the time, especially on homes. But a new study indicates that panels facing west may actually get more juice from the sun, and at more convenient times.Researchers at the Pecan Street Research Institute did a study of homes with solar panels in Austin, Texas and found that when homeowners faced solar panels west they were able to generate 2% more electricity in a day. And they also generated more electricity in the afternoon, when power grids experience peak demand.

*NEW PROCESS COULD REVOLUTIONIZE SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING :TWO FOR ONE IN SOLAR POWER!!

When a photon is absorbed it creates a single electronic excitation that is then separated into an electron and a positively charged hole, irrespective of the light energy. One way to improve efficiency is to split energy available from visible photons into two, which leads to a doubling of the current in the solar cell.

Researchers in Cambridge and Mons have investigated the process in which the initial electronic excitation can split into a pair of half-energy excitations. This can happen in certain organic molecules when the quantum mechanical effect of electron spin sets the initial spin 'singlet' state to be double the energy of the alternative spin 'triplet' arrangement..more..

*NEW SOLAR CELL EFFICIENCY WORLD RECORD : BOEING : 38.8%

Spectrolab recently set a new world record by producing a solar cell that converted 38.8 percent of solar energy into electricity, more than any other ground-based solar cell not using concentrated sunlight. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., verified the new record, which beats Spectrolab's own previous world record by 1 percent.

"Improving solar cell manufacturing technology is at the core of what we do at Spectrolab," said Spectrolab President Troy Dawson. "We will continue to innovate new ways to achieve even better results."

Spectrolab manufactured the high-efficiency multi-junction solar cell, which was developed from new Boeing semiconductor bonding technology. This solar cell technology could be used to power high-power spacecraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.more..

* PARADIGM SHIFT IN ORGANIC SOLAR CELL : STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Now a Stanford University research team is weighing in on the controversy. Their findings, published in the Nov. 17 issue of the journal Nature Materials, indicate that the predominant working theory is incorrect, and could steer future efforts to design materials that boost the performance of organic cells."We know that organic photovoltaics are very good," said study coauthor Michael McGehee, a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford. "The question is, why are they so good? The answer is controversial."more..

"A SOLAR PANEL WITH 21% EFFICIENCY:NEW"

This can be a game changer. It uses copper instead of silver, reducing the cost and provides much higher efficiency.ONly such low cost high efficiency panels can make solar viable in india.

A recent breakthrough—the product of a partnership between manufacturer TetraSun and the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—could spark U.S. solar manufacturing when the approach hits the assembly line next year. The innovative design, simple architecture, and elegant process flow for fabricating the cells make the technology a prime candidate for large-scale production.Read more at

PEROVSKITE-BASED SOLAR CELLS CAN BE TWICE AS EFFICIENT :MIT

A new solar cell material has properties that might lead to solar cells more than twice as efficient as the best on the market today. An article this week in the journal Nature describes the materials—a modified form of a class of compounds called perovskites, which have a particular crystalline structure.

The researchers haven’t yet demonstrated a high efficiency solar cell with the material. But their work adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting perovskite materials could change the face of solar power. Researchers are making new perovskites using combinations of elements and molecules not seen in nature; many researchers see the materials as the next great hope for making solar power cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels.Courtesy

When Alex Hornstein was a senior at MIT in 2007, he worked on a solar energy project in Lesotho, a small country in southern Africa. Their work showed how it’s possible (albeit difficult) to build a sophisticated device in an isolated rural area.A year ago, Hornstein and Shawn Frayne started the Solar Pocket Factory: the world’s first automated tabletop microsolar production machine. It’s about the size of a coffee table, and it makes small panels that can power pocket-sized devices. They raised nearly $78,000 via Kickstarter last year.more..

SOLAR ROBOTS- THE NEW SOLAR INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES??

HOW FINANCIALLY VIABLE IS IT??

In a dusty yard under a blistering August sun, Rover was hard at work, lifting 45-pound solar panels off a stack and installing them, one by one, into a concrete track.

IT IS GOOD FOR THE INDIAN CONDITIONS???

A few yards away, Rover’s companion, Spot, moved along a row of panels, washing away months of grit, then squeegeeing them dry.

WILL IT EFFECT THE JOBS IN THE INDUSTRY?

*GERMANY HITS SOLAR PANEL EFFICIENCY RECORD OF 44.7%

German researchers just hit a new world record for solar efficiency.

After three years of study, researchers at the German Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems have created a solar cell that’s 44.7 percent efficient, meaning it converts 44.7 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity. The new record isn’t much higher than the previous record of 44 percent, set in December 2012, but as TreeHugger notes, it brings the solar industry closer to achieving 50 percent efficiency.SOURCE

CRYSTTALINE SOLAR HAS TAKEN OTHER SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES TO DUST!!!

FIRST SOLAR is the only significant thin film solar panel company left along with Solar Frontier of Japan. Many thin film panel companies have folded up in recent times after taking billions of dollars in funding. Even General Electric (GE) has given up its solar ambitions (see below). The relentless advance of crystalline silicon solar panel technology has left other technologies in the dust. First Solar has managed to survive due to its massively subsidized large Department of Energy (DOE) solar farms which are making large profits for the firm. As these projects near completion, FSLR's overall bookings are trending down. First Solar's panel costs are now uncompetitive with crystalline solar panels. The company cannot sell its solar panels in decent amounts outside of its system business. The company has now decided to invest in silicon panel technology. I think that this will be a problem for FSLR as it will have to write down its huge investment in Cadmium Tellurium solar panel factories as well as compete against established silicon panel companies such as Sunpower (SPWR), Yingli Energy (YGE), Trina Solar (TSL) etc. I would avoid First Solar stock and look for better solar alternatives such as Renesola (SOL).

General Electric has also thrown down its arms. GE had boasted of building America's biggest solar panel factory using technology acquired from a Cd-Te startup Prime Solar. The company had said its efficiency would be higher than FSLR and its costs would be lower. GE had earlier announced that it was going slow in its expansion plans and now the company has given up by selling its technology to its arch rival FSLR and firing 50 workers. Again to any solar industry watcher, this was inevitable. I don't foresee more than 5 thin film solar companies surviving this downturn and am not sure that First Solar will be able to keep up its thin film technology.

The Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE in Boston and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg released their first solar panel durability report and placed the SunPower E20 model first in their PV Durability Initiative (PVDI).

“The potential for PV modules to fail in advance of their intended service life is a key factor that increases the perceived risk, and therefore the cost, of funding PV installations,” explains Geoffrey Kinsey, Director of PV Technologies at Fraunhofer CSE. “PVDI addresses this issue.”

How does it work?

PVDI rates PV modules on a scale of zero to five relative to their likelihood to perform reliably with regard to the performed tests. Modules are subjected to accelerated stress testing intended to approach the wear-out regime for a given set of environmental conditions. The modules are rated for both performance and safety.

In parallel with the accelerated tests, modules are subjected to long-term outdoor exposure; the correlation between the accelerated tests and operation in the field will be determined over time. The accelerated test component in PVDI is an extension of familiar reliability stress tests and includes combined effects. Where possible, the program requires that commercial modules be purchased on the open market, to avoid selection bias.

The results showed “a substantial spread in thermal cycling durability, while all tested module types proved very good stability in the damp heat/UV test sequence.” And though some participants wanted to remain anonymous, all the data acquired under the PVDI will continue to be used to provide a comprehensive comparison in years to come.SOURCE

Reduced Cost of Solar Panels

Twin Creeks recently revealed a new secret weapon to drive the cost of manufacturing solar panels with their Hyperion ion cannon process. Instead of creating silicon panels and slicing them – creating a great deal of wasted product – the Hyperion is able to create PV panels a fraction of the size.

The smaller size translates to a smaller cost. Projections are that Twin Creeks will be able to produce panels at $.40/Watt – that’s about half of what anybody else on the market is able to produce.

A secondary benefit to the smaller size is that the panels themselves are incredibly light and flexible. This results in lower shipping costs and improved space utilization, to name only a few perks.

Alternative Approaches

Most of the time we hear about a complete PV system – panels, batteries, controllers, and cabling. But a new trend is developing where home and business owners are skipping battery systems altogether and opting for to stay plugged into the grid.

They plow the money saved on batteries and other components into more panels. The result is more power, which they pump back into the grid – at a hefty profit.

Take Gary and Debbie, as an example. They built a Stitt Energy home in 2007 and have been enjoying extremely positive results. Since they lived in an area with rare power outages, they decided to choose a grid-tie PV system that didn’t utilize a battery backup.

The numbers to date show they have generated the amount of energy it would take to power 67 houses and reduce the normal carbon foot print generated from this number by 36 trees.

Using the approach that Gary and Debbie did in the above example, new PV technology to generate power, and better systems to manage output, PV systems may very well be closer to mass market than we think.

The
solar irradiation is best in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. Hence, those
wanting to setup large solar farms, should first explore at these two
regions. I will be happy to provide consultancy to any serious investor/entreprenur who wants to set up large scale solar farm in TN, mainly identifying land, manpower, project reports, as well as establishment of the plant as turnkey operation.

Solar manufacturers should price their products based on
their margin (e.g. 30% over cost of production), but not on the
emotions and psychology of people. It is wrong to price a product high
simply because people get carried away by "renewable energy" slogan,
since such marketing tricks do not last long. Fair pricing would be
competitive to Chinese products, since shipping and import costs should
put them above domestic products. (If a CEO cries "we don't know what
is happening!" it is a red flag for investors and lenders.)

Self Cleaning Technology Pvt. Ltd. is the first company in India to introduce Nano Technology for Self-cleaning purpose.

Pollution, dust, fumes and even bird droppings contribute to prevent sunlight from reaching the Photo-voltaic cells in your solar panels. The more dirt – the lower amount of electricity they will produce.

The main function of our solution is Self-cleaning and keeps your solar panels cleaner for longer. It also resluts in very low maintenance (cleaning) of your solar panels and thus drastically reduces the maintenance costs. More over our solutions are eco-friendly.

During rain and regular cleaning with water, droplets which remain on the solar panels act as a convex lens. This radiates the rays of the sun at particular point where these droplets are form on the solar panel thereby damaging it. Our coating does not allow water to form droplets on solar panels.

Solar for your Region

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